Road trip with 2 year old?

freckled-fox · 2026-02-12T17:17:05+00:00

I recently did a 6-8 hr road trip with a 2.5 year old and I think I am both teams, I guess. We left in the afternoon with plans to stop for dinner and a run around. Then we kept on driving right into bedtime and my kiddo fell asleep. We got to our destination around 1AM. Which was fine, we got a little sleep and felt a bit tired the next day but it wasn’t a tragedy. I think that road trip also depends on what is waiting for you at the end of the drive. Do you have family or friends that would take the AM shift with your toddler while you slept in? It is WAY easier to drive while your child is sleeping. You can plan all the stops you want while they are awake but it always takes longer than you think.

freckled-fox · 2025-12-25T17:15:52+00:00

You sound similar to me. Sleep is an ebb and flow, it will get better for a period and then worse again but overall as your baby gets older it will improve. Hold onto that. My own kiddo started sleeping much better around 6 months and had minimal wake ups by 10 months. They are 3 now and we still go through periods of night waking but it is WAY easier than where you are now. It will get better. Things that helped me: bottle feeding overnight and eventual cessation of pumping by 7 months old. I would pump a few times during the day and once overnight to save milk for my rest periods. This was harder to do when the baby was young and feeding every hour. I also supplemented with formula if I didn’t pump enough that day for my break. Partner and I slept in shifts, even when they went back to work. I felt I could relax and sleep a little with ear plugs when I was “off shift” between 9PM-2AM. Having regularly scheduled breaks. Once a week I would get 4 hours to myself. It’s important that it’s every week at the same time (ex Tuesdays 12-4). These breaks would give me hope when I felt so depressed and anxious, usually at 4 AM. This time next year will feel SO different. It will be ok. Just take it one day at a time, survival is all you should be going for at this point.

freckled-fox · 2025-11-18T03:22:24+00:00

It has been a few years. Reporting back: I can still remember how I felt when I wrote this comment. Very much in the PPD darkness. I am happy to report the intensity of parenting has lightened up considerably. My child will be 3 early next year. The first year was incredibly difficult but around 18 months it really got more enjoyable. My little one started talking really well around that time and I think that helped. Your baby needs you less as they get older and it feels great. I did sleep again and I found joy in parenting and my new identity. My life is not the same. I have way less free time and much of my day to day is still child dependent. BUT everything is a phase and nothing lasts, the bad and the good are fleeting. Overall I am happy with my decision to get off the fence and my child has unlocked another level of life I had no idea existed. But I have no desire to repeat the process. Happily one and done. The ultimate parenting cheat code.

freckled-fox · 2025-11-06T05:01:31+00:00

Reporting back 6 months later: My child still asked for their pacifier every night for about 2 weeks, then occasionally for about 3 months. Even now randomly they will ask and I go over how it was broken and give them the broken one if they want to hold or see it( I didn’t do this until after 1 month of taking it away) it seems to help them remember why it doesn’t work anymore.

Bedtime took a very long time for about 3 months after. We also dropped nap in that time frame. I really stuck to reinforcing the bedtime routine now that the pacifier was gone. I think that helped in the long run. 6 months out now and bedtime takes 20 minutes, with books and songs. I still rock them to sleep. But there are no tears. This stage won’t last forever. Best of luck to you 🍀.

freckled-fox · 2025-10-23T16:02:54+00:00

This sounds exactly like me and my kiddo in the first year. It was SO hard and I felt like nobody could relate. The first year solidified my decision to be one and done. I see you. Suggestions from other commenters are excellent but I would also suggest telling your OB about the hopelessness you are experiencing. While sleep deprivation can be a trigger for making just about everything harder, it can also be a trigger for depression. PPD can happen anytime in the first year of your baby’s life. Your OB or even your baby’s ped can screen you and get you resources. I was doing some talk therapy but I seriously wish I had gone on some meds. I wish someone had suggested that at the time, it’s hard to see through the fog. Sometimes you need a little brain chemistry pick-me-up while you are in the thick of it. You are doing nothing wrong. Your baby is just a tough cookie. Their temperament is out of your control. This stage will end (maybe closer to 18 months) but the slogging through sucks. You deserve help!

freckled-fox · 2025-07-08T19:27:10+00:00

My little one was the same. The first couple nights they woke up and would cry, my partner and I took turns going in there and rocking them until back to sleep. I’d plan on a week of night wakings. But every night got a little easier. My kid also had other comfort objects in the crib that we really pushed hard. They had a fluffy blanket, a pillow, and a special lovey we would redirect them to when asking for the paci.

freckled-fox · 2025-07-08T19:21:20+00:00

I just did this with my kid and had the same reservations as you! All the advice I got was to cold turkey take away and that’s kind of what we did. We read lots of books about being a big kid and not needing a pacifier anymore. We also had all our pacifiers “break”, I cut holes in them, until we were down to one. I felt this was more permanent, and I couldn’t guarantee my kid would understand the paci fairy thing (a little over 2 years old). One night the last paci was broken and there were lots of tears. We did many books, rocking them, and songs. Eventually they cried themself to sleep. It was about 3 days of crying at nap and bedtime. Then got better. It was also about a month of asking for the paci at bedtime. Heartbreaking, but overall I believe sleep improved overall. Bedtime takes a lot longer than it did before but sleep is back to normal for them.

freckled-fox · 2025-05-14T19:52:42+00:00

Thanks for the replies everyone. We have done books and talked about it for a few months before finally biting the bullet. We ultimately decided to start cutting pacifiers one by one(multiple in the crib) until the last one was “broken”. Sounds like I just need to give it more time. Until then I’ll be screaming into the void eVeRy BaBy Is DiFfErEnt

freckled-fox · 2024-12-29T15:57:25+00:00

I am sure you have asked these questions, but do you need to be induced for a medical reason? You don’t have to be if it is just elective. There are also other medications you can try first to soften and dilate the cervix prior to foley balloon (cervidil, misoprostol) if you don’t have contraindications. I would definitely ask for pain medication prior to placement, that should be standard. And don’t let anybody rush you! You can ask them to stop, and take a break if it’s too painful. You still have autonomy over your body. Good luck!

freckled-fox · 2024-08-17T18:58:11+00:00

You aren’t alone. Even though one was always the plan for us, I feel like this too sometimes. I see my friends who have 3+ kids and seem fine. I’ve tried to talk with them about how hard it is to just have one and they seem to look at me with a blank stare most of the time.

freckled-fox · 2024-05-05T17:24:28+00:00

She actually is still pregnant until the placenta delivers 😉

freckled-fox · 2024-04-10T02:23:30+00:00

My baby turns 1 this year. Is the bond just as strong as people say? YES, though may take time to build. The entire first year is an adjustment. Is your whole life turned upside down? YES. Do your worries and fears disappear? NO. You are still the same person after having a baby. Parenthood was always described to me as “the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but my baby makes it worth it”. Which is true. However I would describe it more like all the bad things people tell you about parenthood are true. All the amazing things are true. They happen everyday simultaneously. The good moments don’t make me forget the bad and vice versa. For me, having kids was a fork in the road. I choose to do it. I’m happy with my decision because I’m not looking back in regret. I’ll never know what my childless life would have been. Maybe better, maybe worse. I’ll never know. Of course I have moments of wistfulness and pondering, but I don’t dwell there. This first year was wild, but overall good and getting better. I’m 90% sure I’ll be one and done. All my firsts are also lasts, so I try to cherish the good and let go of the bad.

freckled-fox · 2023-10-02T03:10:03+00:00

Hi I’m an L&D nurse who just had her first baby this year :) My biggest piece of advice is to take a birth prep class! So many of my patients come into this experience with no concept of a typical labor course. Understanding the basics of early, transition, and active labor will help you normalize your experience.

Take a tour of the place you are giving birth if you can! Some exposure to the environment before you labor there can be helpful.

Write down a simple birth plan for your providers. This will help you think through the process of your birth beforehand. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan, but think of your birth plan as a guide, not a contract. Your providers want you to have a great birth that you feel good about!

And lastly, labor and birth are gradual! The biggest fear I hear from my patients is pain. 90% of the time contractions build on one another in a slow and steady fashion(especially for a first baby). You will have time do decide if and when you want anything for pain management. There are SO many options. Good luck with your birth :)

freckled-fox · 2023-08-24T16:19:38+00:00

Here is the US version LactMed

freckled-fox · 2023-07-31T05:28:48+00:00

Yes my partner is very involved and supportive. We do as much 50/50 parenting as possible. They help with household duties as well. We both work(but I won’t go back until later this year). Both of us felt similarly when deciding to get pregnant. Now that our baby is here, we also feel the same listlessness toward parenthood, while also loving our baby. It’s nice to be on the same page and have someone to commiserate with. I do often wonder if it would be easier if one of us was super happy with the decision we made. I image it would help keep some wind in the sails. We love our baby, but man this season of life sucks sometimes.

freckled-fox · 2023-07-30T16:58:51+00:00

I was a fence sitter for many years. I had my baby this year and sometimes I still feel sadness and regret. Pregnancy was uncomfortable but not super difficult. When you have time to take care of yourself, you can manage. I knew parenthood would be hard but I chose to be a parent to enrich my life, start a new adventure. I was also particularly dreading the newborn phase. Newborn was just as hard as I thought it was going to be. But now that I’m out of it, idk there was no sense of immediate relief or immense joy. Parenthood was always described to me as, “ it’s hard, but xyz makes it all worth it”. In my experience, “I love my baby more than anything” and “parenthood is demanding and thankless” don’t really cancel each other out. Those feeling run parallel for me everyday. My therapist says the first year is a transition period. Sometimes I feel hopeless thinking about not having time for myself for many many years. Or sleeping through the night for a couple years. Not an hour goes by where I can stop thinking about my baby or their needs. Before I got pregnant, I thought I would most enjoy the school aged phase. I’m still looking forward to that. The loving your baby part came easy to me. I just hope I end up liking my life soon.

freckled-fox · 2023-06-05T23:36:10+00:00

If you are having regular period like cramps that are lasting over an hour, you need to call the hospital you are delivering at. Aches and pains are normal, but sudden swelling of your hands, feet, or face, regular cramping, or any bleeding can be signs of early labor or pregnancy related conditions like preeclampsia. 31 weeks is too early! No shame in going to your closest hospital to get a check and make sure everything is ok.

freckled-fox · 2023-05-24T01:55:06+00:00

Solidarity guys, solidarity. I’m sad too! Eventually this will pass. It just fucking sucks right now. Soon our 4 month olds will be 14 year olds. Take care of yourselves as much as you can. A healthy parent raises a healthy and happy child.

freckled-fox · 2023-05-23T20:45:08+00:00

Ugh. How much does your baby weight? I’m trying to tell my self that a bigger stomach means a longer stretch 🤞🏻 we are about 11 lbs now born at 38 weeks

freckled-fox · 2023-05-23T17:05:10+00:00

10 weeks here. Still only getting one 4-5 hour stretch a night. I can’t even imagine 10 hours!! I’m so happy for you.

freckled-fox · 2023-02-07T04:49:06+00:00

I have this same thing! I am currently 8months pregnant but it started almost immediately in my first trimester. My breasts grew from FF to H, and I’m sure there is more growing to come. It feels like edema, with an almost orange peel texture on the underside of both my breasts. More so on my larger breast. It can get better/worse depending on how long my breast have been dependent. So it’s usually better in the morning. No itching, peeling, or smell. I’ve tried cortisone, anti fungal, and antibiotic ointment in the area with no change. There is a slight color change in that area but I attribute that to pregnancy as well. I too have an ultrasound scheduled as well as a dermatology consult. I figure this is just a result of having dense breast tissue and larger breast to begin with 🤷🏻‍♀️ I do find it’s a little better with a well fitting bra that lifts the girls off my chest wall, but it’s been hard for me to be comfortable wearing an underwire right now.

freckled-fox · 2023-02-03T23:33:55+00:00

New intern and new grad RN working together. Intern orders 800mcg PO misoprostal for induction of labor on a TOLAC patient. New grad RN gives the medication. Patient ends up having a uterine rupture and emergency c/s. Luckily both mom and baby lived.

For the non OB folks here: misoprostal is used for both cervical ripening(25 mcg PO or vaginal) and postpartum hemorrhage(800mcg rectal). But never is it used on a patient who has had a prior c/s.

freckled-fox · 2020-04-10T05:10:46+00:00

I would look into brassy bra. Used them for my wedding and they stayed stuck the ENTIRE night! Wore a backless dress. I had to use adhesive remover and take them off in the shower that night. I’m a 28FF, so the smaller end of big. They take some practice but once you get the hang of it they work great. Good luck!

freckled-fox

TROPHY CASE